05/04/2026
Walton & Frinton RNLI assist yacht taking on water in Hamford Water along with
Volunteers from Walton & Frinton RNLI launched their D class inshore lifeboat on Friday morning after reports of a yacht taking on water in a creek off of Hanford Water.
As the pagers 📟 sounded at 09:04, the lifeboat launching a short time after from Titchmarsh marina into fresh conditions. The crew of were also tasked to support given the situation and nature of call-out.
On arrival, the crew found the yacht had taken on a significant amount of water & at risk of sinking below the water. The sole person on board — and his dog — had been forced to abandon to their tender and make their way to the shore. The casualty and his dog were quickly located and recovered safely before being transferred to the Harwich lifeboat crew, who transported them to Titchmarsh Marina.
Walton & Frinton volunteers then collected debris from the scene and recovered the yacht’s dinghy, returning it to station where the skipper was later reunited with it. He was hopeful of returning to the vessel at low water to inspect the damage.
Helm Dale Steggles said: “The last 2 service calls show just how different our service calls can be… Situations like this can change fast, and this one was no different. Thankfully the skipper was able to call for help when he did — locating him ashore with his dog and working together with the Harwich crew meant we could get everyone to safety and recover as much as we could from the floating debris.”
The RNLI is a charity that saves lives at sea. To support the RNLI’s lifesaving work, visit rnli.org/donate.
